System and method for allocating datastores for virtual machines

A computer readable storage medium containing a instructions which, when executed by a server configured to provision storage, allocates a datastore for a virtual machine that can be executed on a host computer networked to a physical storage system, the physical storage system including a plurality of physical storage entity types, by performing the steps of:

• receiving a request to allocate the datastore at the server;
• generating, at the server, a unique identifier to associate with the datastore, wherein the unique identifier mimics a form of identifier that is generated by the physical storage system to identify volumes of physical storage in the physical storage system that are accessible to the host computer so that the unique identifier is consistent with a form of identifier for a particular one of the physical storage entity types;
• identifying at least one volume of physical storage in the physical storage system having physical storage available to satisfy the request to allocate the datastore;
• and
• maintaining, at the server, a mapping of the unique identifier to the at least one volume of physical storage, wherein the server provides the mapping to the host computer upon running the virtual machine on the host computer, thereby enabling the host computer to store data for the datastore in the at least one volume of physical storage.

A server configured to allocate a datastore for a virtual machine that can be executed on a host computer networked to a physical storage system, the physical storage system including a plurality of physical storage entity types, the server comprising a processor configured to perform the steps of:

• receiving a request to allocate the datastore;
• generating, at the server, a unique identifier to associate with the datastore, wherein the unique identifier mimics a form of identifier that is generated by the physical storage system to identify volumes of physical storage in the physical storage system that are accessible to the host computer so that the unique identifier is consistent with a form of identifier for a particular one of the physical storage entity types;
• identifying at least one volume of physical storage in the physical storage system having physical storage available to satisfy the request to allocate the datastore;
• and
• maintaining, at the server, a mapping of the unique identifier to the at least one volume of physical storage, wherein the server provides the mapping to the host computer upon running the virtual machine on the host computer, thereby enabling the host computer to store data for the datastore in the at least one volume of physical storage.